


off the map

by SadieFlood



Category: Gold Diggers (1995)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 03:33:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20464328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadieFlood/pseuds/SadieFlood
Summary: The whole town's looking for Jody.Beth's learning how to keep a secret.





	off the map

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Doranwen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doranwen/gifts).

"When was the last time you saw Jody Salerno?"

Beth shakes her head. "Whatever you think she did, she didn't do it."

She expects Matt to be stern, tell her it's very important that she tell him everything she knows because Jody's in a lot of trouble, and so on and so forth.

But his tone is still gentle when he says, "We don't think _she_ did anything, Beth. Have you seen or talked to her since Monday night?"

She wants to tell him.

Her mom is standing behind her, exchanging glances with Matt that Beth's not supposed to notice.

Beth wants to tell her, too.

"What do you mean, you don't think _she_ did anything? You think someone did something _to_ her?"

She decides that if Matt levels with her, tells her the truth, then she'll tell him the truth.

Instead he shares another of those infuriating looks with her mother behind her back.

Then he says, "We just need to talk to her, that's all. She's not in trouble."

Yeah, right. Ray's dead and Jody's not in trouble. That might be true if anyone in this town had ever believed a word out of Jody Salerno's mouth.

"I haven't heard from her," Beth says. "I'm really worried. Will you let me know when you find her?"

"Of course," Matt says.

Her mom takes her home. If she suspects anything, she doesn't let on.

She just says, "I don't want you running around town by yourself, or going out looking for Jody. They'll find her."

"I know." She looks down at her hands. "I was going to meet Tracy and Samantha in town. Can I still go?"

Her mom considers it. "You still want to go?"

"Not really. But I don't want to sit in my room and think about all the things that might have happened to Jody, either."

Jody has probably been a bad influence; Beth's getting better at lying.

*

Beth does not go to meet Tracy and Samantha in town.

She takes a couple of pointless detours, just in case someone might be keeping an eye on her from a distance.

The boat's waiting for her, right where Jody left it before swimming back to the cave. Just like they planned.

Beth hates being alone with the boat and wishes Jody (or, like, an adult) was around to take control or tell her what to do. She really would be more comfortable as a passenger.

And who even owns the boat? What if they come looking for it?

She distracts herself during the journey by thinking of the worst case scenario, and it works, but all of her worries instantly dissipate when she sees Jody waiting for her. She's beaming, like she's proud of Beth for making it this far. Or for showing up without the cops in tow.

Beth might be a little proud of that, too.

"They're looking for you," she says by way of a greeting, hugging Jody close.

"Obviously," Jody says, rifling through the bag of old clothes and books and pilfered snacks Beth managed to sneak out of the house.

"How long do you think you can hide here?"

Jody shrugs.

"I mean, are you just going to live here now?"

She shrugs again. "Maybe. Why not?"

"It's dangerous," Beth says. She regrets the words before she even gets them out, but she adds, "And what about school?"

Jody falls over laughing.

"I know," Beth says. "I just heard myself say that."

"'And what about _school_?'" She squints her eyes. "Tracy, is that you? I thought it was Beth."

"So you're just going to live here forever and be, I don't know, feral?"

"'What about _boys_?'" Jody's still laughing. "'What about your _hair_?'"

"Okay, well, what about--"

"I don't think I'd get a very good education in jail, Beth."

"They said you're not in trouble."

Jody rolls her eyes.

"He said they don't think you did something, they think someone did something to you."

"They're right about that," Jody says. "Not that anyone cares."

Beth winces, remembering the bruises Jody showed her the day before, a mottled, purple trail down her back. There were more, Beth was sure, but she couldn't stand to look. "I didn't tell them anything."

"Good," Jody says, opening a pack of Twinkies and handing her one before inhaling the other.

After a moment, Beth says, "What about your mom?"

"I'm sure she's really sad about Ray."

"They think _she_ did it."

Jody avoids Beth's gaze. "Well, she kind of did."

"Jody," Beth says.

"There's no evidence," she points out. "Just her bruises. They'll go easy on her."

"But what if they think she did it because he killed her daughter?"

Jody snorts. "If you're so worried about my mom, then go tell everybody where I am. Or stop bringing me stuff and let me starve or die of loneliness or something."

"I would never do that," she says, resolute. "Any of it."

"I wouldn't really die of loneliness," Jody says. "Boredom, maybe."

"You would too. You'd miss me too much."

"Would not." Jody sticks out her tongue. "And I can take care of my own food. I know how to survive."

"Really?" Beth pretends to be impressed. "I didn't know you could hunt for Twinkies."

"Oh yeah," Jody says. "I can catch 'em with my bare hands."

Beth looks at her watch. "I'd better get back before my mom figures out that I'm not where I'm supposed to be."

"You're not?" Jody's voice is unusually quiet.

It kind of makes Beth want to stick around and go feral, too.

But her mom would have every cop in town looking for her.

Not like Lynette.

So she just corrects herself: "I mean, that I'm not where she thinks I am."

Jody sighs. "Fine, I'll just sit here and read..." She pulls a book out of the bag and wrinkles her nose. "Trixie Belden?" She tries another one. "_Bobbsey Twins_?"

"Sorry, I was in a hurry." She grins. "Next time I'll bring textbooks."

Jody groans. "Never mind, I'm ready for jail."

"Well," she says, getting up to leave. "See you tomorrow."

This time, Jody initiates the hug. "Tomorrow," she echoes, holding on tight.

*

Beth's heart pounds as she walks in the door. 

What if her mom saw Tracy and Samantha somewhere and found out that not only was she not with them, but they didn't even have plans?

But her mom just looks up from her book and smiles. "How was your day? You feeling okay?"

This could be a trap. She tries to sound nonchalant. "I didn't feel like hanging around with anybody, so I just walked around by myself."

"Beth, I don't want you doing that. Not until Jody is found."

"I can't just sit around--"

"We just need to be careful. Safety in numbers."

Safety in numbers didn't do much for Jody, she wants to say. What if the person who's supposed to protect you just doesn't bother? Or puts you in danger?

She knows she's lucky, that her mom _would_ kill anyone who put his hands on her, so she just says, "Fine. I'll be careful. I'll use the buddy system."

That seems to satisfy her mom, so she goes to her room and breathes a sigh of relief.

She'll just have to get smarter about sneaking off.

Maybe Jody will have some ideas tomorrow.


End file.
